Catfishing in recruitment
Have you ever exaggerated company perks to attract staff to your workforce? Or noticed how the new hire who boasted their strong time management skills is always late to the office? If so, you may have been involved in recruitment catfishing.
Catfishing, in a general sense, refers to people intentionally misrepresenting themselves. So, in recruitment, it is when either party deceives in this way during the hiring process.
This could be prospective employees exaggerating, or even lying, about their skill set or experience. For employers, catfishing could mean making false commitments about your company: like claiming prioritisation of work/life balance when in reality your staff struggle to book time off.
If any of this sounds familiar, that’s because recruitment catfishing is on the rise. Recent research in the US found 13% of employees admit to catfishing – but this might not be accurate, as 67% of staff believe their coworkers have catfished! Surprisingly, 79% of employers interviewed also admitted to catfishing.
Recruitment catfishing might seem harmless – but it can put you at risk of some serious consequences. If you’ve embellished just how great your company is, staff will become disengaged when they discover your business isn’t quite what you’ve made it out to be.
This will likely impact morale and work ethic: decreasing performance, productivity and your overall output. Retention will likely be an issue, with staff potentially leaving for companies that deliver on their promises.
For successful recruitment, transparency from all parties is crucial. The truth will be revealed sooner or later, so it’s important to cultivate an honest dynamic from the beginning.
During the recruitment process, encourage candidates to be honest about their skills and experience, and keep your wits about you for any holes in their story.
You should be transparent, too: ensure your recruitment team are honest about your positions and company culture – from the initial job listings to interviews.
Catfishing is just one potential challenge during recruitment. From staying the right side of equality law to getting interview technique correct, there is plenty that busy SMEs can struggle with. If you would like to get better at recruiting, please get in touch and we can identify where we can help.
A limit on seizures…
A company received negative media coverage after limiting an epileptic employee to only having “three seizures a month.” This comment was made during a disciplinary meeting for her “excessive sick leave” – where she received a second disciplinary when she tried to explain that she couldn’t control the frequency of her seizures.
This controversy sparked a wider discussion on the treatment of epileptic staff in the workplace, increasing pressures on employers to do more to support workers with serious health conditions. A UK study found 60% of workers with epilepsy claim to have experienced unequal treatment or discrimination at work due to their condition. Meanwhile, 42% of employers admitted they’d be less inclined to hire someone with epilepsy to avoid potential challenges – despite knowing it is discrimination to do so.
It’s a legal requirement to put reasonable adjustments in place for employees with health conditions which would constitute a disability. Failure to do so could land you in court. It’s in your best interest to avoid discrimination claims at all costs: discrimination tribunals are expensive and could damage your company’s reputation.
If you employ staff with serious health conditions like epilepsy, you might be feeling pressure to get everything right. We understand that this can be difficult to navigate: you’ll want to strike a balance between supporting your workforce, whilst ensuring targets are still met.
Take the time to understand your employees’ individual needs and requirements (with occupational health professionals where appropriate), cultivating a culture of open communication to do so. This approach will inform you when implementing reasonable adjustments to help your staff succeed.
It is not to say that if they are not capable of doing a job you do not have other options, but it is essential to follow the proper process.
If you’re seeking more specialised guidance, get in touch today to see how we can help you stay compliant with legal requirements whilst supporting your staff and your business!
Supreme court ruling on women and sex
You’ve likely seen media coverage on the Supreme Court ruling by now, but do you know what it means for your business?
On 16th April, the Supreme Court clarified the meaning of “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010: confirming that within the act “women” only refers to the biological female sex. This ruling doesn’t affect a person’s right to identify as a different gender and use different pronouns.
There’s still confusion around these changes, and the EHRC is currently updating its guidance. In the meantime, you should make clear that bullying, harassment or discrimination won’t be tolerated. Gender reassignment is still a protected characteristic in itself, and a harmonious workplace is good for business.
Toilets and washing facilities will be one of the most tangible elements of compliance. The HSE mandate minimum requirements based upon workforce size, ideally with separate facilities for males and females.
Where this is not possible, unisex toilets, lockable from the inside, with hand basins will be okay. Any toilet used by women should have hygiene facilities.
If you don’t already, consider investing in well-being services to support your staff – potentially helpful for a variety of issues including this.
If you’re seeking further clarity or guidance following these changes, please get in touch with us.
The right to switch off – gone or on the backburner?
You may remember Labour confirming plans to address the “right to switch off” if they were to be elected. However, the policy wasn’t included in the Employment Rights Bill and Labour appear to have dropped any immediate plans to address it.
The right to switch off policy would legally prevent you from contacting employees outside of work hours – unless in extenuating circumstances. Such a policy would set off alarm bells for many, especially if your workforce is across multiple time zones or if you’re in an industry that requires frequent out-of-hours contact. As a general principle though, it is common sense that people (including you) need downtime and headspace away from work.
The future of the policy remains uncertain. Some think it’ll be picked up separately from the Employment Rights Bill. However, the Sunday Times reported that the government is actually planning to scrap the policy in an attempt to boost employer confidence following the increased NICs. You’ll likely hear more about the policy in the coming weeks; and we’ll be here to help you, either way.
Keeping the confidential, confidential
Some things are better kept private. In the case of sensitive files about staff, it is the law.
A business recently lost a tribunal after disabled employee, Liv, saw her manager’s screen had an open document titled “Concerns Re Liv” in a large, bold font! In its decision, the tribunal found that leaving sensitive documents accessible like this disadvantages disabled employees; relating it to being a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
It is an important reminder to consider how sensitive material is handled within your business. You should work with management to ensure any confidential material is not accessible – let alone visible – to employees. Have a process.
These considerations are even more important if you have vulnerable staff in your workforce – as a simple managerial slip-up could be used against you in a tribunal.
Is 35 old?
Is 35 old? According to employers in China, it’s ancient!
The Chinese workforce is currently facing the “curse of 35”, which has employers openly expressing a preference for younger, unmarried workers. There’s a perception that “older” workers are less willing to work long hours and can’t adapt as well to new technologies. This stigma pervades several industries in the country, with many civil service departments even having an age limit of 35 and under for entrance exams.
Whilst age discrimination does exist in the UK (and is illegal), this is to a very different extent! It’s likely reinforced by China’s 996 work structure: a 9AM – 9PM, six days a week routine, which may seem more suitable for younger workers. Regardless of age, we’re sure few will be complaining about their 9-5 hours after they have read this!
